The Tomorrow
by AnimationGirl
Summary: Shifu has seen her pacing back and forth; like she is trapped in some sort of cage. Nightmares are filling her mind, forcing her to leave. Now he has to make a choice. And he knows that no matter what he will choose, he will not wear a smile when the morning comes. Doing what is right seems hard when you have no idea of what will come. One-shot


A/N: Hello, guys! I have for a long time wanted to post this one-shot for Kung Fu Panda! And finally it's done. It's kind of a tragedy, but I have written much sadder thing… More about that in the A/N in the end.

Hope you'll like it!

Please not that this has NOTHING to do with my one-shot 'Ways of Destiny'. They are two different stories.

I do not own Kung Fu Panda.

**The Tomorrow **

Her paws were shaking slightly when she grabbed the edge of the cliff. It cost her more effort than normally to pull herself up, but finally she could rest her head against the cold ground. Why was she doing this again?

Tigress' vision was blurry, and her eyes were aching. Lifting her head, she looked up to see the mountains in the distance. They were so far away…

Sighing, she tried to stand again, but getting up was harder than she had expected. She needed her sleep.

But this was the only way of getting it back.

She got up on four legs, ready to run again. She had to move. She had to get away from here. She had to do something.

Her tired, desperate brain felt close to shutting down. Her glance was wild, yet distant, and her claws just kept being unsheathed.

She had to do something.

The screams were still echoing in her mind, haunting her. Her breathing became harder and she moved her head rapidly, trying to figure out what to do.

Just something.

"Tigress?"

The voice made her freeze, eyes widened even more. Her breath became stuck in her throat as she slowly turned her head towards the voice.

Po.

He was standing there, looking at her with that expression that broke her heart.

Like a child.

But he wouldn't understand.

"Where are you going?" he asked, sounding nervous. She knew what he was thinking, but didn't find the strength to answer. But finally she stood up to face him.

Tigress saw how his expression changed when he met her empty eyes. Maybe he would figure it all out…

"Shifu told you not to go, you know," Po spoke, saying the words slowly as she was the child.

The tiger opened her mouth, but no sound came out? Shifu? She remembered it now. He did say something like that.

Po waited patiently for her to do something, but she just continued staring at him. Like he was some sort of stranger.

"It's pretty late. Running all the way up here sure made me tired." To prove it he yawned. "What about you, Tigress?" When she didn't answer, he continued, "Just walk with me back to the palace."

Two minutes went by before anything happened. Then she straightened up her back and walked beside him. He looked at her, awaiting some words, but then he just started walking, her following him.

None of them talked on the whole way back.

At the palace the others were waiting for them. When they saw the panda and the missing tiger, none of them dared to talk. But all of them let out a relieved sigh.

Shifu was there too. He sent Po a grateful glance before taking over and led Tigress back to her room. He made sure that she stayed in her bed, but remained in her room.

He knew it would take long time before she would fall asleep.

Her eyes were open, looking directly at them. They were so red, caused by the lack of sleep.

She couldn't continue like this.

* * *

Tigress knew they didn't blame her. Her actions could just as well be sleepwalking. And if anybody hated it, it was her.

It was like the nightmares never left her.

All the time her body was ready to attack. Ready to claw the unnamed enemy. Her parents' screams would ring in her ears as she leapt forward.

Once again, she found that nothing was under her paws.

Two weeks after it had started happening, she had asked Shifu if she was going crazy. Her master had widened his eyes; horror, she believed. But he had shaken his head and said that she would be okay.

She was starting to think that he had been lying.

This was not okay. Attacking invisible enemies was not being okay. Not having control of her actions was not being okay. Not being able to sleep was not okay.

When would it end wrongly?

Tigress stared at the ceiling, eyes burning, widened in desperation. Sleep… How long time was it since she had gotten the sweet rest?

Before she would train without stopping. Now she feared it was her own fault that she could not rest.

Mantis once gave her some herbs to help. But instead of bringing her sleep, they only knocked her out, which didn't help her very much. Rest was avoiding her, and she down on her knees begging for it.

She couldn't train anymore. Her tired muscles would make her collapse, and her confused brain would make her disoriented. People could get hurt. She could hurt them.

How long time was it since everything had been normal?

It was the dreams that had destroyed it all. Made cracks into her perfect world. Her parents, the real ones, those she had thought had given her up, screaming. Fire. A baby crying.

The first night she had woken up sweating and panting. She had tried having nightmares before. She had known what it felt.

But then it became different.

The same dream again and again.

Her parents' screams begging for her to help them.

She wished she could.

That was why she every night stood up on her way to find them. The others couldn't understand. It wasn't them who were nearly killed every night. It wasn't them that had to listen to their mother's cries. Their father's gasps in pain.

The begging… Over and over again.

It could only stop by her doing something. Then the torture would be over.

She left her bed, just as the night before, and started her journey again. Poor Po was supposed to be watching her; he was sitting on a wooden chair outside the door. But unlike her, sleep had him in its grasp, and the panda didn't as much as blink when she walked by.

As she walked around corner, she heard a gentle snore coming from the sleeping panda.

Tigress hoped they wouldn't blame him. She was happy that he hadn't seen her; if he had, everything would have been more complicated.

Feeling the walls with her paw, she wished she would remember every little detail. That she would never forget her home.

But now was the time to leave.

The tiger thought of everyone she was leaving behind. Her friends. Family.

Poor, sweet Viper. How was she going to react? But the situation was already bad, and this could not make it worse.

Monkey and Mantis… She hoped those two would be able to cheer each other up.

Crane would be there to take care of Viper and they would both pull through this.

And Po… Po would understand her fully. Eventually.

Tigress looked up and saw the stars shining weakly down of her. She was already out of the palace without even noticing it.

Didn't it mean more to her?

She hoped so, but something, this feeling of having to save someone… It was pulling her away from everything she knew.

She had completely forgotten him until she walked past the place where the peach tree was standing silently. His little form with those ears… She could recognize him from a long distance.

How could she? Tigress blamed her tired mind, but she knew that deep inside she did not want to think of him. At least not right now.

The tiger watched him silently, forgetting about her awaiting journey.

Shifu was playing his flute, closing himself away from the world just for some moments. He had come out here in the search for his master's advices, but the only thing he had heard was the winds gentle, incomprehensible whisper.

His calming tone actually managed to take away his worry. In his mind he could see Tigress resting in her bed, finally getting the sleep she so desperately needed.

But then he realized it was only imagination and he turned around. He had sensed her, and true enough, she was there, listening. But as he stopped playing, she blinked and her eyes were no longer calm.

"Tigress?" he called and she took some steps closer. "What are you doing out here?"

Despite his gentle voice, she did not answer. With a sigh, he stood up, ready to lead her back home. "Come."

To his surprise she backed away, moving her head rapidly to each side. "I cannot," she told him.

"We can talk about it tomorrow," Shifu said, tired of repeating this situation over and over again.

"Shifu." She said his name gentle enough to make him freeze.

And suddenly he knew that this night was not going to be like the other ones.

"I cannot," she repeated, and then straightened out her back. "I have to go."

In a flash he was in front of her, not allowing her to take a step further. "Stay," he told her. "It is just some nightmares…" he murmured, mostly to himself. His voice then got stronger when he said, "They will be gone soon."

Tigress gave him a weak, bitter smile. "You said that last week." She then kneeled down to look him in the eyes. "Master, I have to do this."

"No." He shakes his head sadly, eyes on the ground. "No, you don't."

"I can't stay here."

"Yes, you can."

"I have to do this, Shifu."

"Why?" His eyes were begging her to stop.

Tigress' face was like a mirror to his sorrow. "Because this is something I can't ignore. It's my…"

"Don't say the word," Shifu murmured angrily.

"Destiny," she finished. "There is someone out there who needs my help. I don't know if it's my parents, but…" She bit her lip. "I need to go."

She stood up again, walking past the stunned Shifu. When he finally came back to reality, he blinked, and then ran after her.

"We need you here too," he told her when he caught up with her. "Please don't leave."

"We both know that these nightmares…"

"They'll go away," Shifu tried to convince her. "Just give it some time…."

Tigress turned around. "I have," she sneered. "I have, and try and take a look at me! I can't continue like this, Shifu. It is just a matter of time before someone gets hurt…"

"You won't," he said, grabbing her paw. "I know you."

"I thought that too. But I _need _this. I thought you would understand."

"How do you know it'll be there?" he asked her. "That you will find your inner peace?"

She shrugged at his question. "I can just feel it. The mountains… They are calling for me."

Tigress pulled out her paw from his, starting to walk away again.

"Please," Shifu called out from where he was standing. "Daughter."

The tiger froze, the night air brushing her orange fur. "Father," she answered.

"I am sorry."

"It's okay."

"Please forgive me."

"I forgive you."

So few words, so much meaning. Shifu knew that this conversation was something they both had been waiting for in a long time.

But judging by her back that was facing him and her tense fists, he understood that this wasn't over.

"Will you let me leave?" Tigress asked.

Shifu groaned, pacing back and forth. If she left, then maybe her nightmares would disappear and then she wouldn't be sick anymore. Maybe she would find her parents, her family, the thing that she was searching for.

Maybe she wouldn't return.

What if what she found would be better than what she had here? Maybe she then would stay there.

Or maybe she wouldn't even make the journey.

He wished that he could go with her, but he also knew that she wouldn't allow it.

This was her journey.

Shifu didn't say anything, but gave her the slightest nod. He immediately regretted it, but when he heard her words he was overwhelmed by doubt.

"Thank you."

When the master looked up, she was gone, only to be seen in the distance. Quickly running back to the peach tree, he placed himself on the edge, trying his hardest to spot her again.

She was nearly in the end of the village, running towards the mountains in the distance. It only lasted a second; then she was gone in the dark night.

Standing on his staff, Shifu allowed himself to smile. She would make it. He was sure of it.

He had raised her himself. Maybe not the way he had wanted; he had made way too many mistakes. But he had still been there.

Knowing that she had forgiven him, even after all he had done, warmed his heart. His daughter. Finally he could say those words.

But the warmth disappeared again, as an image came to his mind.

Tigress with her parents.

The parents who hadn't hurt her.

If she found them… Why should she then return?

His mistakes had been too big. Maybe Tigress hadn't realized it yet, but she would soon.

Shifu let his ears drop, heart sinking. His daughter out there? And he was foolish enough to believe she would return.

Knowing that this discussion wouldn't end until someone or something would bring him the truth, Shifu was heading back to the Jade Palace.

First of all he needed to explain it all to the rest of his students. It was going to be hard, but maybe they would do the same as him; trying to understand.

Tigress knew what she was doing. And this night, different from her other attempts, she had been there when she had talked to him. Her eyes had belonged to her, her voice had been filled with her warmth.

She had been there, and now he had to trust her. His daughter.

Letting go was just hard.

Returning home.

Staying away.

Returning home.

Staying away.

Returning home.

Staying away.

Returning home…

* * *

A/N: I listened to a song called 'El Mañana' (the lyrics is in English, just not the title) by my favorite band ever, Gorillaz, while writing this. Actually, most of my chapters/stories are inspired by one of their songs. Try and check it out.

I actually have another one-shot almost ready, but I don't know if I should post it, as I am scared of the feedback. The thing is, that it is a really tragedy fic (I love those), but I don't know about you readers. Would you welcome it if I posted it? Please tell me your thoughts about it in a review or a pm.


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